Rassie is right to invest in magical Manie
Manie Libbok’s selection to start the Rugby Championship finale against Argentina was an obvious one. It creates an environment for him to succeed, writes Mark Keohane.
The biggest plus to come from the Springboks 29-28 defeat against Argentina in Santiago is that it forced Rassie Erasmus to pick his strongest available match 23.
The Boks need just one league point to claim only their fifth title in 29 years. A bonus-point win for the Pumas, combined with no league points for the Boks, would see both teams end on 19 league points. In this instance Argentina would be the champions based on a 2-0 head-to-head against the Springboks.
It is an improbable scenario, with the match 23 Erasmus has selected. If Saturday was a World Cup final, there would not be much of change to the 23 asked to beat the Pumas in Nelspruit. Willie le Roux’s experience would be an option but he has not been firing in the Rugby Championship and his last outing against the All Blacks in Cape Town was not as glorious as a fourth successive win against the men in black.
Victory in Santiago, a draw or two losing bonus points, would have been enough for the Boks to have won the title last Saturday. Had they done that, it would have allowed for Erasmus to play mix and match, knowing there was no championship title pressure.
I, for one, am glad South Africa gets to see the best 23, right now play for the Championship title.
Many are labelling the match as Manie Libbok’s redemption; a chance for him to right the wrongs of his 79th minute missed penalty. It is nonsense. Libbok will not be asked to kick a 79th minute penalty again, even if he is on the field. At least not for the Boks.
Erasmus knows this: He is creating a situation where Libbok gets to start, play with freedom and express his range of attacking skills without the pressure of having to nail last minute penalty or conversion kicks. That situation is best left for Handre Pollard.
The reality of Santiago is the moment got to Libbok. That last kick was a ‘gimme’ for a Test goal kicker.
Don’t put him in that situation again.
Libbok can kick. He scores points and in the first two seasons of the URC was the leading points scorer.
But, in big moments in big games, he has fluffed those goalkicking lines. It is a mental thing and that is not as easily fixed as a technical issue or because of technique.
It was absolutely the right call to start Libbok this Saturday and to have the insurance policy of (Handre) Pollard ready to play off the bench at any given time.
Libbok is a magical player and, when at his best, a magician.
But if something big in your life depended on someone nailing a match-winning conversion or penalty, you won’t be dialling his number.
Erasmus knows this, just as he knew there was a good chance Libbok would not kick the 79th minute penalty; hence him turning away in the coach’s booth before the kick.
@mark_keohane interested to know your and @Zels77 opinion on this clip.
Boks scrummy deliberately going off his feet pinning the Argentina player to milk that penalty. And Rassie’s animation in the coaches box whilst Manie is taking that penalty. Player confidence & trust? pic.twitter.com/HLDoAI0e8X— Lance Peters (@LancePeters0608) September 23, 2024
Santiago should have humbled Erasmus, as much as it did the 23 players who lost the Test.
A humbled Springboks, in player and coach, and a Libbok picked to create tries and not kick penalties is a winning formula.
Saturday will be a good day for Libbok and the Springboks.
Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images
